GIVE (INTERNATIONAL) SOCCER A CHANCE

I never thought I would type these words: It is neat to watch the precise passing, authoritative kicking and skillful dribbling in international soccer, the best of the best.

The national teams just move the ball seamlessly from Point A to Point B to Point C to Point D and whoosh, there’s a threat on goal.

Yes, I admit it. I am into international soccer when national teams go at it. Sure, I'm cheering for the U.S., which stunned Spain (at left) on Wednesday in the Confederations Cup in South Africa. But it's more than that. It's the skill. It's the athleticism. It's the creativity. It's even the damn geometry of the passing game.

Now, if Major League Soccer were like that …

ELSEWHERE

-- For years, international soccer TV announcers have incorrectly used the plural of a verb when the singular is required. Examples: “Spain are in trouble” or “Brazil have the best attackers." Unfortunately, this has spread to American TV announcers doing international soccer.

-- EA Sports has introduced Fight Night Round 4 in which Ali and Tyson square off. Listen, if Ali doesn’t whup Tyson's butt every time, then I'm George Foreman VI.

-- Can you name any active heavyweight boxers outside of that big Russian dude? Can you even name him?

-- No need to worry just yet about the Phillies. It’s only June, and I really didn’t expect them to run away from the Mets. Just like the previous three years, this should be going down to the final week.

Forecast: An orange and black Winter (Classic)

Unless you've been to the NHL Winter Classic, it's hard to describe the atmosphere in a way that actually does it any justice, but I'm going to try.

Are you ready?

Take 40,818 crazed fans. Tell them it's going to be about -8 degrees Farenheit (with the wind chill factored in) and there's a chance of snow and sleet in the forecast. Then watch them arrive en masse at the crack of dawn for a 1:00pm game, spend about six hours tailgating in the freezing cold, then pile into one of the most revered sports venues in the world. Finally, listen to them make enough noise to drown out the guy singing the national anthem, then scream themselves hoarse for the next three hours regardless of who's winning or losing.

That game, which has been played at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium and Chicago's Wrigley Field the last two years, is headed to Boston on January 1, 2010. The likely participants? The Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers, according to multiple reports that have yet to be confirmed by the NHL. (Though we're hearing July 15 for an official announcement).

Excited Flyers fans? You should be. NBC apparently lobbied hard to put the Orange & Black in the visitor's locker room come January, casting aside the Washington Capitals and some little guy named Alexander Ovechkin in order to get them there. The reasoning had a lot to do with television ratings and ad revenue, though it also combines two great hockey teams within a six-hour drive of one another (including one Original Six club and a Philly squad that has done its best in recent seasons to carry on the legacy of the "Broad Street Bullies," playing the type of ready-to-rumble style hockey meant for the great outdoors).

Check out some of my photos from the Winter Classic in Chicago, then vote in our poll to tell us where you plan to be on New Year's Day!

Pa. Stoners to Host Youth Club Nights

The Pennsylvania Stoners Soccer Team and the Pennsylvania Stoners Sports Academy are offering local youth soccer clubs the opportunity to host a Club Night at an upcoming Stoners home game.

Club Nights can include*: • Free admission to the game for all youth team players who wear their team jersey to the game. • Club team players will be allowed to go onto the field with the Stoners team players and visiting team for pre-game player introductions. • The club’s participation is announced during the game. • At half-time club team players will be able to participate in on-field skill contests. • A pre-game small-sided scrimmage or match • The opportunity to provide Sideline Ball Kids (ages 12 and older). *Available options will be determined upon scheduling.

Contact Fred Stellato at FStellato@thslaw.com for more information about the team or to schedule a Club Night. Club nights are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Upcoming home games are scheduled for June 13, June 19 and July 1.

The Stoners will take the field this Saturday evening, June 13, when they host Charm City F.C. All home games will be played at 7:00 p.m., at the recently opened soccer stadium at Whitehall High School’s Zephyr Sports Complex. Gates open at 5 p.m., and tickets are available at the gate. Adult tickets are $5, and youth are $3 for 18 & under or with College ID.

The Pennsylvania Stoners soccer team was formed in 2008 by the Pennsylvania Stoners Sports Academy to develop Lehigh Valley soccer players, both on and off the field, with a special emphasis on exposing disadvantaged youth to the “world’s game.” The Stoners’ roster includes players from local colleges and many others with soccer roots in the Lehigh Valley.

Miller was the star at old-timers' reunion

Billy Miller, shown at right with Ishky Fatzinger (left) and Mario Donnangelo, was "way ahead of his time" during his playing days at Liberty High School, one of the old-timers told me on Saturday during the 30th annual Lehigh Valley Old-time Athletes and Friends reunion in the UAW grove in Allentown.

Billy was a first-team all-stater in basketball in 1952. but he was anything but a one-sport wonder. He lettered in football, baseball and soccer as well for the Hurricane. Some people think he may have been the best all-around athlete ever to graduate from Liberty, and that's saying something.

Miller went on to Fork Union Military Academy and then to the University of Virginia, where he won letters in basketball, baseball and soccer. He was a second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament selection twice. He returned to Fork Union, where he coached basketball for 13 years and then was assistant athletic director for 30 years. A bunch of Lehigh Valley athletes went through Fork Union during his tenure, and it seemed like he remembered something about any one of them you might mention.

Miller was attending the old-timers' reunion for the first time, and he was obviously loving it, swapping stories with guys he played with and against during his high school days. I'm glad I took my digital camera along to get some shots.

Coaches? They were all over the place. My personal favorite high school football coach, Fritz Halfacre, was with his son, Tom, and Tommy Nonnemacher, whose mother was the loudest fan I ever heard during my career. She cheered for Emmaus athletes in all sports, and basketball and wrestling officials were often the objects of her rantings. When she was in the building, everyone knew it. She was great!

Bill Paulik and Fran Vari (above) went at it during their basketball coaching days at Salisbury and Saucon Valley, respectively. I think I was in the gym for Paulik's first game -- which was also the first game ever for the Falcons. Other current or former coaches in the crowd included Dick Sniscak, Bruce Trotter, Doug Snyder, Jeff McGeehin, super-assistant Bob Gilbert, Allentown junior high legend Lou Nesley, Bob Nemeth, Pat Petruny, Tony Cocca, Keith Newhard. I know I'm missing some, but that's what I get for not writing down the names.

The last undefeated football team at Allentown (now Allen) High School was well-represented. I have to mention these guys because I was one of them who suited up for the 1957 team that produced a 9-0-1 mark. Four of the guys are shown at right (from rear, they are Bruce Trotter, Jack Melchior, Dave Skeath and Lenny Burkert). Others included Jack Cameron, who came all the way from Minnesota, Jay Geiger, Dick Christman, Terry Duggan, Mike and Tom Wing, Paul Phass.

Judge Ed Cahn, who was a member of Allentown High's 1951 state championship basketball team, showed up. amd he had John Canzano in tow. Canzano was making his first appearance at the reunion. Allentown mayor Ed Pawlowski showed up; so did former mayor Bill Heydt. Heydt and Phil Schantz, who caught softball great Ty Stofflet with the Patriots and who will be going into the softball Hall of Fame this year, were talking about their roles in the upcoming Munopco musical program.Among other guys I hadn't seen for ages:former boxing manager Frankie Alotta, John Reppert, Younis "Wince" Joseph, Bob Yost, Bill Werpehoski, Whitey Ross and Ron Berta.

Remember when many athletes were better known by nicknames than by their real first names? Well, a couple of the good ones are in the photo at left -- Dick "Puggy" Markowitz, Bill "Ace" Adams and Charlie "Mouse" Handwerk. Among the other guys who I watched as a kid were Lee Schweyer, Bobby Bear and Dale Smith. There were undoubtedly lots of others in the crowd of about 300 who I didn't have chance to chat with. But, there's always next year.

Ken Cressman, Erc Spinosa, Hank Annoni and Ed Tremba did a great job putting the thing together again. The age of an "old-timer" has been dropped to 35 try inject some new blood into the event, but I still get a kick out of seeing the REAL oldies, but goodies.

Some of the regular attendees weren't there Saturday because they passed away in the past year -- John "Tank" Balliet, Jeff Moyer, Ray Dini, Andy Tomasic, Ralph Snyder, George Williams and James Gruver. It was another reminder of our mortality and he need to enjoy every moment.

Denton Lakatosh and Ishky Fatzinger were chatting at one table. "I get better every year," Ishky said. And, after all, isn't that when reunions are all about?

Stoners and Snow Battle To A Tie

The Pocono Snow Soccer Club made history this past weekend as the areas only minor league soccer club played their first two home matches in team history. On Friday, the Snow lost to a stingy Charm City Football Club (of Baltimore), by a 2-1 score. On Sunday, the Snow drew with rival Pennsylvania Stoners (of Allentown), 1-1. In Friday’s match, the Snow outshot guest Charm City by an 11-8 margin, but were unable to keep the Baltimoreans off the scoreboard. After ending the first half 0-0, Charm City scored two goals within a five minute time span early in the second half. Ben Pardew and J.C. Cole of the Charm City, found the back of the net in the 47th and 52nd minutes, before Pocono Snow substitute and West Chester University product, Rick Williamson put a goal away for the Snow, as well as for their cheering crowd of 250, just before the game’s final whistle. On Sunday, the Snow entertained the reigning National Premier Soccer League Champion, Pennsylvania Stoners, before a crowd of approximately 400. On a night where shots were an even 10-10, Snow goalkeeper and current East Stroudsburg University player, Larry Pokrywa came up big, making 8 saves. A goal in the 34th minute of play by Snow midfielder Shane MacFarlane gave the hosts a brief 1-0 lead. About 5 minutes into the second half (50th minute) Ryan Hess of the Stoners would put home a penalty kick to even and end the scoring for the match. The Snow will now take their show on the road, first heading to Reading to play FC Revolution (Saturday, June 6th @ 7pm), before they face Charm City FC yet again, although this time in Maryland. That match will be played on June 17th at 6pm.

The next home game for the Pocono Snow will be on Saturday, June 27th at 7pm. This match, as all home matches, will be played at Eiler-Martin Stadium on the campus of East Stroudsburg University. Tickets for each Snow home match cost $5 per adult. All children ages 12 and younger, accompanying a paying parent/guardian, and wearing their club soccer jersey/t-shirt, will be admitted to the match for free. For more information on the Pocono Snow, check out their official website at: www.gosnowsoccer.com, or contact Pat Mullally, General Manager of the Pocono Snow, at: 570-476-6463 or

SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES, NBA PLAYOFFS WORTH WATCHING

I'm enjoying the NCAA Women's College World Series (photo below) on television, but I soon discovered why softball pitchers' earned run averages are lower than the value of GM stock. It's because the umpires stretch the width of the strike zone wider than Major League Baseball umpires do.

A pitch six inches off the plate on the inside is called a strike, and pitchers get a generous 12-inch cushion to the outside. I mean, I’ve heard of expanding strike zones, but this is like home plate swallowed a double dose of Viagra.

If Mattthew Stafford wins the Detroit Lions' starting job, and if Kurt Warner gets hurt or slumps in Arizona, almost 20 percent of NFL teams would have starting quarterbacks with the name of Matt.

That would be Cassel in Kansas City, Hasselback in Seattle, Leinart in Arizona, Ryan in Atlanta, Schaub in Houston and Stafford in Detroit. So mama, name your sons Matt.

I like the NBA on TV again. It took a long time, post-MJ. But I’m watching again, even when Charles Barkley isn’t on the pre-game and half-time shows.

Why the renewed interest?

(1) Some of the stars such as Kobe and LeBron are worth watching.

(2) There doesn’t seem to be much else on TV.

On the other hand, I don't like the NBA so much so that I would watch it on a weekend afternoon. Night games only.

Back to softball and the NCAA Championships on ESPN 2, specifically Game 1 Monday night of the Florida-Washington best of three title series.

In the top of the third inning, color analyst Jessica Mendoza was critical of the Florida centerfielder for being too close to the infield in backing up a throw to second base by the Florida catcher. The catcher had overthrown the ball to second base, and the throw was so high that it also went over the centerfielder's head.

What Mendoza failed to say – an egregious error of omission – is that the same centerfielder, at the start of the play, had properly rushed far forward to field a slow-moving bouncer that snaked through the infield and into centerfield. In addition, the centerfielder made a throw to home plate to try to nab a baserunner at home, and the momentum from that throw had carried the centerfielder all the way to the edge of the infield dirt behind second base.

So, when the catcher quickly threw back to second base after handling the throw from the centerfielder, that same centerfielder had had no time to move back into position.